


Hey! I was going to eat that!

by Laramie



Series: Things you said [15]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Beach Holidays, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 16:40:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4673903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laramie/pseuds/Laramie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thomas and Jimmy spend some time together relaxing by the sea.</p><p>Another addition to the Things you said 'verse, which is all based on dialogue prompts. This one (in the title) was prompted by todowntononanimpala.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hey! I was going to eat that!

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: food/eating.

**June 1926**

After moving to York, it was two years before the shop was stable enough for Thomas and Jimmy to feel able to leave it in the hands of the shop boy for a few days. They had employed him because Jimmy had only spent a couple of weeks working there before deciding that he wanted to do something different. Instead, he had talked himself into a job playing the piano at a restaurant.

And so, between the two of them, they had at last saved enough money for a holiday. It was June, and they were staying at a guesthouse in Hornsea, very close to the beach. They could not afford the guesthouses right on the seafront so there was another row of buildings between themselves and the sea, blocking out the view.

They were posing as cousins for the few days they were away. Jimmy had grumbled, on the walk from the train to the guesthouse, about having to buy two rooms when they had no intention of using the second, but when Thomas told him to stop ruining their time off, he kept his mouth shut.

So far, they had spent a long day on the beach, been for a walk on the moors and been taken out in a boat on the lake. On this, their last day, they were again at the beach for the morning even though it was overcast. They had spent a pleasant few hours lounging on towels in their coats and paddling in the ice-cold sea. Now, they were sitting on a bench on the promenade with one big portion of newspaper-wrapped fish and chips set on the bench between them to share.

"What was your favourite bit about the holiday?" Jimmy asked, poking a chip into his mouth.

Thomas resisted his initial impulse to say 'you', and chewed thoughtfully. "The weather," he said, deadpan. It had rained for their walk and their trip on the lake, and was threatening drizzle again now.

Jimmy snorted. He threw a chip in the air and caught it neatly in his mouth, turning a triumphant grin on Thomas as he chewed it.

"What about you?" Thomas asked, pulling his coat closer around him.

"I liked the sailing," Jimmy said. "It was fun."

Thomas hummed around a mouthful of fish in agreement. Once he had swallowed it, he asked: "What time do you start work?"

"Seven. Bags of time. You've put too much salt on these."

"I do apologise, o great master," Thomas drawled. Around them, seagulls were beginning to take an interest. They strutted around in the hope of crumbs.

"Nice to see you're recognising my superiority," Jimmy said, tossing a chip at Thomas which hit him on the cheek.

"Oi!" Thomas rubbed at the greasy mark.

For a moment, Jimmy smiled, but then the mirth dropped from his face and he slumped in his seat.

"What's the matter?" Thomas asked, concerned.

After glancing over his shoulder to check that they were unobserved, Jimmy leaned closer to Thomas. "I wanted to kiss you, just then."

"Ah, well," Thomas said vaguely, not protesting as Jimmy claimed the crunchiest bit of batter from the end of the cod. "Plenty of time for that when we get home."

"Yes…" Jimmy sat frowning at the vast expanse of the beach, the twin greys of the sea and the sky reflecting in his eyes.

"Sorry," Thomas offered.

"Thomas…" Jimmy began warningly.

"Sorry, I know: don't say sorry, we're in this together, I know." Jimmy had told him that enough times, but it still sometimes felt like his fault that Jimmy had to hide away rather than show his happiness to the world. And he _was_ happy: Thomas trusted that he was.

Jimmy's answering smile could rival galaxies in its brightness. "Just so," he said firmly, and chucked another chip up to catch in his mouth, apparently recovered. This one hit him in the eye - "Ah!" he yelped.

Although greatly amused, Thomas shook his head disapprovingly. "Such a child." He watched Jimmy trying to find a clean part of his hand to wipe the salt away from his eye with, before relenting and handing over a clean handkerchief.

"Thanks, love," Jimmy said easily as his took it from Thomas's fingers.

Thomas felt himself blush with pleasure; he adored when Jimmy called him 'love', but he did not do it terribly often. Sighing happily, he eyed the seagulls with suspicion as they crept closer to Thomas and Jimmy's bench. The birds all jumped as something landed in their midst, before converging on the remains of a large portion of fish and chips. "Hey!" Thomas protested. "I was going to eat that!"

Jimmy looked down at the seagulls as though he was briefly considering an attempt to reclaim the food, then said sheepishly: "Oops. I thought you were done."

"Ah, never mind," Thomas sighed, reclining back with his elbows on the back of the bench and stretching his legs out in front.

Checking his pocket watch, Jimmy said: "We ought to get going, we've got our bags to collect before we go to the station." He stood and offered his hand to help Thomas up then remembered himself and put it in his pocket in the same movement.

"All right, then," Thomas agreed, getting up to join him.

As they started off, Jimmy nudged Thomas with his elbow and looked at his feet as he said: "I'm holding you to that kiss you promised, the moment we walk in the door."

Thomas grinned. "All right, then."

**Author's Note:**

> Go here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/5352755 to see linkworshiper's fic about what happens just after this...


End file.
